Apparatus for galvanizing wire.



No. 830,093. PATEN) SEPT. T1906 G. L. MBAKER.

APPARATUS POR GALVANIZING WIRE. APPLICATION FILED JUNI; 1s. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

j' f N Er EA e l,= In.

l. Hi I MIM mi A "H" /'j HIM m n r M ll.5?/}/}}///////////////////////////////////////////////// No- 830,093.PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906.

G. L. 'MEAKEEA APPARATUS FOR GALVANIZING WIRE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1902.v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

y/ f lllllllllllllllllill/Ill f fllldlmmlll 0 ull/Wluvllllllllllln n i-MMM X to Winesses: [NIP/far UNITED sTATpEs PATENT oEEIcE.

GUY L. MEAKER, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN STEEL ANDWIRE COMPANY OF NEI/V JERSEY.

APPARATUS-FOR GALVANIZING WIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4;, 1906.

Application led JUDO 18,1902. Serial N0. 112.169'

To all 11j/wm t ntay concern:

Be it known that I, GUY L. MEAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Evanston, county of Cook, State of Illinois,have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Galvanizing Wire,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to thedrawings accompanying and forming part of the same.

My invention relates to an apparatus in which wire is electrogalvanizedby drawing the wire through a solution of the metal to be deposited andsubjecting the same to the action of an electric current.

Heretofore in electroplating or electrogalvanizing wire a longvat ortank having a series of anodes at the top and bottom or along the sidesand filled with the electrolyte has been used for this purpose, the tankbeing from ten t`o fifty feet long, depending on the conditions. A tankof this description not only takes -up a large amount of space, but hasother disadvantages, such as requiring a large amount of platingsolution, and consumes a large quantity of the electric current byreason of the length of wire through which the -current passes and thenumber of anodes required for the purpose. By my improved apparatus Iconsume a smaller quantity of theY electrical energy' by reason of thefact that the entire current consumed is used in plating the wireinstead of overcoming the resistance in a long length of wire, such asis necessary in the apparatus used heretofore, and I am able togalvanize a greater length of wire in an apparatus which occupies verysmall space. The consumption of current in my improved apparatus isfurther lessened by the fact that l am enabled to use a comparativelysmall number of anodes.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation, partly insection; Fig. 2,-a side elevation, partly in section, showing two units,while Figs. 3 and 4 show a modification.

1 is a reel of wire 2, properly pickled and l cleaned preparatory tobeing galvanized, the

reel running loose on the shaft 3.

4 and 5 are cylinders or drums properly j ournaled in the sides of thetank 6, having grooves 7 in their surfaces.

8 is a winding-drum keyed to the shaft 3, which shaft is driven from aconvenient source of power by means of a belt or chain y trolytel atthis point.

passing over the driving-pulley 9, or it may be driven by a series ofgears. passes from the reel around the drums or cylinders, being ledfrom groove to groove until it is finally drawn from the last grooveonto winding-drum S, where it is removed in bundles or coils. Thewinding-drum alone may be driven if the wire to be galvanized issufliciently strong, and a small number of loops or coils are made inthe tanks; but it may be necessary to drive one or both of the cylindersor drums by driving-pulleys 10, keyed to their shafts. Furthermore, itmay be necessary to use more than two drums or cylinders.

In order to accomplish the electroplating or galvanizing, the tank isfilled with solution or electrolyte nearly to the top of the uppercylinder or drum, so that a small portion of the Wire is thus out of thesolution or' eleclElectrical connection with some or all of the coils orloops at the points where they emerge from the solution is made by meansof brushes 11, which brushes are electrically connected to the negativepole of the source of electric current.

tion, each being electrically connected to the positive pole of the samesource of electric current. The ano'de 13 is suspended inside the loopor coil, while the anodes 12 12 are suspended outside of the loops, sothat the wire is thoroughly plated on all sides.

The operation of my apparatus, therefore, is as follows: Wire from ther'eelis drawn round and round the cylinders or drums in short coils orloops, and the electric current being supplied to each. one of theseloops greatly reduces the resistance to be overcome. Furthermore, bypassing the wire through the electrolyte in coils and supplying thecurrent to each coil separately a more perfect and even deposit isobtained, and, as before noted, the apparatus occupies a very smallspace. As the wire is passing through the electrolyte the current inpassing through the solution from the anodes to the wire electricallydeposits the metal base of the solution upon the surface of the wire.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a tank inwhich there are two units, such as shownin Fig. 1, each being complete and independent in and by itself. Anypart of these units may be used in a long tank; but it is to be observedAnodes 12 and 13 are suspended in the soludrives the two winding-drums 8and 8 and also drives the top cylinders or drums 4 and 4. The wire issupplied to each unit in the manner heretofore described, and theoperation of each unit is substantially the same as described and shownin Fig. 1.

In Figs. 3 and 4 are shown a modification in which a series of cylindersor drums are used, and instead of each pair of drums forining a separateunit the wire is carried around the entire series of drums, passing overeach drum only once, however, so that if there are, say, thirty groovesin each drum thirty wires could be fed through and the units, therefore,instead of being across the tank, would belengthwise of the tank;otherwise the operation of this modification is substantially asheretofore described.

Instead ofsupplying the lwire to each unit from a reel the Wire may befed to the cylinders directly'from the furnace,'passing, however,through pickling and cleaning vats between the furnace and thegalvanizing-tank.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In Aa Wire-galvanizingapparatus, the

' combination of aplurality of drums or cylinders adapted to pass thewire through an electrolyte in loops or coils, one or more of said drumsor cylinders having grooves upon the surface thereof, al tank in whichsaid drums or cylinders and the electrolyte are contained, brushescontacting with the loops -or coils above the surface of saidelectrolyte and electrically connected to the negative pole of thesource of electric energy, anodes suspended in the electrolyte andelectrically connected tothe positive pole of the source of electricenergy, a shaft on said tank, a reel on said shaft containing the Wireto be treated, and a second reel on said shaft to take up the wirepassing through the tank.

2. In a wire-galvanizing apparatus, the combination of a plurality ofdrums or cylinders adapted to pass the wire through an electrolyte inloops or coils, one or more of said drums or cylinders having groovesupon the surface thereof, a tank in which said drums or cylinders andthe electrolyte are contained, brushes contacting with the loops orcoils above the surface of said electrolyte and electrically connectedto the negative pole of the source of electric energy, anodes suspendedin the electrolyte and electrically' connected to the positive pole ofthe source of electric energy, a shaft on said tank, a reel loose onsaid shaft and containing the wire to be treated, a second reel fast onsaid shaft to take up the wire passing through the tank, and means fordriving said shaft.

3. In a wire-galvanizing apparatus, the combination of pairs of drums orcylinders electrolyte and electrically connected to thev positive poleof the source of electric energy, anda source of electric energy.

adapted 'to pass the wire through the electro- 4. In a wire-galvanizingapparatus, the combination of pairs of drums. or cylinders adapted topass the wire through the electrolyte in vertical loops or coils, a tankin which said drums or cylinders and the electrolyte are contained withthe upper ones of said pairs of drums or rollers partly above thesurface of the electrolyte, brushes contacting' with the loops or coilsabove the surface of the electrolyte and electrically connected to thenegative pole of the source of electrlc energy, anodes suspended in theelectrolyte and electrically connected to the posltive pole of thesource of electric energy, and a source of electric ener y.

In witness whereof have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of June, A.D. 1902.

' GUY MEAKER'.

Witnesses: A HILLARY C. MEssIMER, GEORGE H. SONNEBORN.

